One in five Asian American adults has concealed aspects of their cultural heritage, such as customs, food, clothing, or religious practices, from non-Asians due to fear of ridicule and a desire to fit in, as revealed in a Pew Research Center survey conducted between July 2022 and January 2023.

The likelihood of hiding heritage varies based on birthplace and immigrant background, with 32% of US-born Asian adults doing so compared to 15% of immigrants.

Among US-born Asians, second-generation individuals (those with at least one immigrant parent) are more inclined to hide their culture from non-Asians than third- or higher-generation Asian-Americans (38% vs. 11%).

Second-generation Asian Americans constitute 34% of the US Asian population, with the majority being under 30 years old and primarily English-speaking, according to the 2022 Current Population Survey.

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Survey findings indicate that various factors influence the likelihood of Asian Americans hiding their heritage from non-Asians:

- Korean Americans are more likely to conceal aspects of their heritage compared to other Asian-origin groups. Specifically, 25% of Korean adults have done this, while the percentages for Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, and Japanese adults are less likely to have done so (19%, 18%, 16%, and 14%, respectively).

- Younger Asian Americans (ages 18 to 29) are approximately twice as likely as older Asian adults to hide their cultural identity, with 39% of the younger group doing so. In contrast, 21% of Asians aged 30 to 49, 12% of those aged 50 to 64, and 5% of those 65 and older have hidden their heritage.

- Political affiliation plays a role, with Asian adults who are Democrats or lean Democratic being more likely to hide their identity (29%) compared to those identifying with or leaning toward the Republican Party (9%).

- Language usage is a factor as well. Asian Americans who primarily speak English are more likely to hide part of their heritage, with 29% of English-dominant Asian adults doing so, compared to 14% of bilingual individuals and 9% of those who primarily speak the language of their Asian origin country.

Reasons for hiding heritage

Asian Americans who concealed their cultural heritage provided reasons for doing so, with embarrassment and a fear of being misunderstood being common explanations. However, different immigrant generations had distinct motivations for hiding their culture:

- Recent Asian immigrants often tried to assimilate into the US culture and were concerned about potential negative judgments from others if they shared their heritage.

- US-born Asian Americans with immigrant parents hid their heritage while growing up to assimilate into a predominantly White society. Some mentioned avoiding the reinforcement of Asian stereotypes.

- Some multiracial Asian Americans and those with more distant immigrant roots (third generation or higher) occasionally concealed their heritage in an attempt to pass as White.

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